Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones is a 2023 comic book limited series from Marvel Comics. It's written by Emily Kim with art by Kei Zama and color art by Triona Farrell.
The series stars the eponymous Spider-Gwen, and is linked to the shared Marvel Universe. However, whereas most Marvel stories are set on Earth-616, Gwen is based in the Alternate Universe of Earth-65. In the main Marvel universe, Gwen Stacy was a love interest for Peter Parker, Spider-Man - and she died long ago, despite his attempts to save her. In this universe Gwen became the Spider-themed superhero Ghost-Spider, and it's Peter who died.
Gwen occasionally travels between the alternate universes, as do some of the other characters she deals with. Earth-65 is normally a little quieter than the main Marvel universe, though, with fewer costumed heroes and villains. And when five of Spider-Man's Earth-616 enemies (Kraven, Rhino, Sandman, Doctor Octopus and the Vulture) - reach Gwen's world, they briefly cause havoc, with tragic results.
Months after that battle, Gwen discovers that their visit had other impacts as well—some unseen adversary has created clones of her, spliced with the villains, and those clones are now coming after her...
The first issue was released March 1, 2023.
Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones contains examples of the following tropes:
- Beast Man: "Rhi-Gwen" is a human-rhino hybrid instead of just a person in a suit like the actual Rhino.
- Call-Back: Gwen's last miniseries (Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse) featured an Alliance of Alternates due to a villain rewriting timelines and creating versions of Gwen merged with other well-known heroes. When she meets Gwen Ock she initially assumes she's dealing with another Alternate Universe version of herself, and is surprised to discover that Gwen Ock's a clone.
- Clone Angst: Gwen finds herself up against clones of herself spliced with the DNA of five members of Earth-616's Sinister Six. Their creator seems to treat them as weapons to be deployed, but when Gwen Ock's freed from mind control and is shaken by the revelation, Reed is quick to assure her that she's a real person and treats her accordingly.
- Collateral Damage: Gwen and the Vulture crash into Lyla and Bennet's lab during the prologue, causing havoc. Gwen moves the battle outside again, but doesn't notice that one of the Vulture's bombs is still in the room — it goes off a few seconds later, catching Bennet in the blast.
- Evil Makeover: Lyla's appearance after the accident that killed her husband and wounded her positively screams Dark Is Evil Mad Scientist.
- Failure-to-Save Murder: During Gwen's fight with the Sinister Six of Earth-616, one of the Vulture's grenades ended up in a lab with two scientists. One took the brunt of the blast and died quickly after, which Gwen didn't notice because she was already swinging away to take care of the villains. The surviving scientist, who was the fiancée of the deceased victim, solely blames Gwen for it against all logic and schemes to destroy her utterly.
- Hypno Trinket: The halo device on the back of Gwen-Ock's neck is designed to work with her synthetic brain, mind-controlling her. Once Gwen removes it, Gwen-Ock is dazed, but no longer Brainwashed and Crazy.Gwen-Ock: I was heading somewhere but... I wasn't in control. It was like I was watching myself move on a tv screen.
- Innocently Insensitive: Mary Jane tells Gwen to try and not to be too lonely without her and the rest of The Mary Janes... because she has no other friends.
- Internal Reveal: At the end of issue #1, after analysing the 'halo' Hypno Trinket programming used to control Gwen-Ock, Reed tells Gwen and Gwen-Ock that their biggest concern should be that it's designed to be reused on other targets, so other clones may exist. Readers will already be aware of this, as five clones were on the cover (and heavily promoted in marketing as part of the story's premise, acknowledged in the title etc.).
- Misplaced Retribution: Lyla wants revenge on Gwen for the death of her husband. To this end she's devised a machine that will use the original Gwen's DNA signature to broadcast a signal throughout the multiverse that will kill Gwen and all of her alternate counterparts. This not only means countless innocent Gwen Stacys will die at the hands of a vindictive madwoman, some are shown on her screens as being with loved ones, meaning she'll also inflict her pain on countless more people.
- Modified Clone: The central premise is Gwen going up against clones of herself hybridized with the Sinister Six.
- Noodle Incident: The issue opens with Gwen brawling with Doc Ock, Sandman, Doctor Octopus, Kraven and the Vulture — all from Earth-616 — without explaining how the baddies wound up on Earth-65, or how they got back.
- Ship Tease: Gwen has a crush on Mateo, her coworker at her new job, and is elated when he asks her on a date. Alas, superhero shenanigans ensue and she's forced to cut things short.
- Sudden Morbid Monologue: Gwen Ock, after being freed from Lyla's control, comes off as a nice person who is only a little different from Gwen... up until she goes off on a tangent about how normal people need to learn their place and adapt to the needs of their betters, like her and Gwen.Gwen: That's the Doc Ock part of you talking.
Gwen Ock: Doesn't make it untrue. - There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Not content with just killing her world's version of Gwen Stacy, Lyla has built a machine that will let her kill every Gwen Stacy in the Multiverse.
- Variant Cover: The first issue has several variant covers in addition to the standard version.
- Wetware Body: Although Gwen Ock is a clone, Reed Richards discovers that her brain's a synthetic copy, interlaced with carbon nanotubes. Gwen Ock's mind is effectively an AI, programmed with a mix of two directives - "GS_T/C" is based on Gwen's personality and memories whereas "DO_T/C" adds elements of Doctor Octopus.
